


Melody of Murder

by gardensgnome



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Cid is his own warning for swearing, Community: no_true_pair, Gen, monsters altered with science are dangerous, monsters nomming on monsters is law of nature
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-05
Updated: 2013-04-05
Packaged: 2017-12-07 12:30:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/748527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gardensgnome/pseuds/gardensgnome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cid and Vincent revisit Nibelheim's Shinra Mansion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Melody of Murder

It was a distant noise at first, soothing in its soft, slow measured tones. Cid thought he was hearing things and said as much.

"I hear nothing but a house creaking with age and the monsters that live in it," Vincent said as he walked silently across the dusty main hall of the Shinra Mansion.

Vincent was the reason they'd returned to the accursed building of his rebirth, seeking any and all information that Hojo had left behind that they'd previously had no time to look for. Chasing madmen did that, gave you precious little time to scratch your arse.

"Sounds like someone playing a piano," Cid muttered around the butt of an almost finished cigarette.

"There once was a piano here."

"Still is according to Cloud. You think some kid snuck in to play it?"

"I see no footprints."

"Maybe they didn't come in through the front door."

Vincent shrugged, brushing off Cid's curiosity as he headed up to the second flood. Cid followed as quietly as he could, grunting in annoyance as he managed to step on every single loose step.

The music stopped for a long moment and the silence seemed almost questioning. About to call out to Vincent, the music started up again, louder and more melodious than before. It was hypnotic, the way the tones went up and down, each one clear and distinctly individual and yet blending into the next or perhaps the previous, seeming to swirl around in Cid's brain. He needed to find out who was making that music and how because it sounded like no piano he'd ever heard before. Whoever was playing sounded right gifted, not that Cid really had an ear for music but he had an ear for this and could listen to it forever.

He was at the door now and the music wasn't letting up although he'd stepped in a very squeaky board right outside the door. The music was getting louder, vibrating the metal door handle under his hand. It squealed horribly as he turned it. He needed to see, he had to...

Vincent's clawed hand settled over his mouth and pulled him bodily back from the doorway as the door creaked open the tiniest bit. Cid fought against his grip for a moment, spitting out a few choice curses that were nothing more than muffled grunting until he felt the barrel of Death Penalty resting on his hip, cold through his clothing. He quietened instantly and turned his head, slanting a look up at Vincent. Vincent who was not watching him but staring into the dimness of the room beyond the door. Vincent who removed his hand from Cid's mouth and without a glance brought a finger to his lips, two fingers to his eyes and then one finger pointing into the room.

Silence. Watch. Beware.

It wasn't easy to see into the room as Vincent eased the door open a tiny bit more with the barrel of his gun. Thankfully the door hinges didn't protest the slow movement. Cid took the moment to get a better grip on his spear and to set his feet ready to jump out of the way if need be. With Vincent being this cautious Cid briefly wondered if he stood a chance if they were attacked.

For a few heartbeats, nothing moved in the mansion.

Then faintly but with increasing volume Cid heard the slow tones of music that had first caught his attention. There was movement now, slow like the tune, a tune that was making Cid's eyes droop tiredly. He bit down on the inside of his mouth to maintain focus.

It was small and round. Solid looking and glossy, like wood or polished stone is glossy.

It had to be the smallest Mimic Cid had ever seen.

About to step forward and go stomp on the blighter, Vincent's hand restrained Cid, a frown keeping him in place when he really wanted to go in there and work off the embarrassment of being entranced by the small monster. Mouthing a 'what the fuck?' at Vincent, Cid was once again shown to shut up and watch.

The Mimic was not alone. A Dorky Face lay on the floor not too far inside the door and Cid watched as the small Mimic scurried over to it on tiny bug like legs. It paused for a moment as if listening before it poked the sleeping monster with a pointy leg. The Dorky Face hissed as it floated up from the floor, too slowly as if trying to shake off the remnants of magic induced sleep. Whatever noise the Mimic next made had it dropping to the floor like a stone, only Vincent's hands over Cid's ears and the partially closed door stopping Cid from likely doing the same.

The Dorky Face didn't move. Cid hoped it was dead rather than stunned as the Mimic began to eat it.

He didn't need convincing to back away from the door and head to the other side of the second floor.

"What the fuck was that?" he asked as soon as Vincent pulled the hidden door to the basement closed behind them. "A Mimic?"

"No," Vincent said softly and Cid watched as he dabbed at the dark trail down his neck.

Blood, Cid realized, from Vincent's ears.

"That was one of Hojo's favourite monster," Vincent said quietly. "A cross between a Mimic and the most unlikely of items, Lucretia's music box."

"What?"

"He called it that, a Music Box," Vincent explained as he cast a quick cure on his ears. "I'm guessing it lured the Dorky Face into that room with it's music. Like it almost did you."

"Shit. But what was that at the end? Whatever the hell it did hurt you and it takes a bit to hurt you."

"Deathblow."

Cid felt his blood freeze as he realized that one word explained how close to being killed he'd been. Vincent had just saved his life.

"A Music Box is almost as bad as fighting a Malboro, except it can't poison you and it can't petrify either. Fascination, confuse, berserk, sleep, stun, deathblow is what is can do. You have to kill it quickly or run away. Prolonged battle will only give it more chances to hit you with stun or a deathblow and it won't care that you're only stunned before it starts eating."

"Fuck," Cid swore softly around the lump in his throat at the thought of being eaten alive. "Is there only one? You said it was Lucretia's."

"Originally yes but I expect it's bred with regular Mimics by now. It has been many years since Hojo created it."

"What do we do then?"

"We get what we came for and then burn this...hell down."

"Agreed. Good thing Reno and Rude stocked the chopper we borrowed with some bombs for us. I remember what one of those did to the old highway in Edge."

"Use two."

"Seriously? You trying to level the whole fucking town?"

"I just want to be sure nothing gets out of this place once we leave."

**Author's Note:**

> Written for March 2012 no_true_pair - Cid & Vincent, Music Box.


End file.
